


Rather Mistaken

by Of_Princes_and_Savages



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Idiots in Love, Misunderstandings, Mutual Attraction!, One-Sided Attraction, PSYCH!, Rumbelle Christmas in July 2019 (Once Upon a Time), The focus is on the idiots okay?, Will is a handsome lamp, dash of Ruby x Mulan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-06-24 18:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19729606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Of_Princes_and_Savages/pseuds/Of_Princes_and_Savages
Summary: When Belle French falls in love with her close friend, Mr. Gold, she thinks it's rather one sided. She is rather mistaken. But so was he.





	Rather Mistaken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CelticHeartedFanfic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticHeartedFanfic/gifts).



> Happy RCIJ to all! My lovely giftee, (whom I understand has had as crappy a last few weeks as I,) is the Celticheartedfangirl on Tumblr, (I've gotta find your Ao3 name,) with the AMAZING prompt of "Shut up and kiss me."
> 
> And so they shall. :)

It hadn't started out as _feelings_.

When Belle started at Storybrooke Public Library, the one thing she wished for was that men who'd obviously stopped reading books in school, if not sooner, would stop coming by and _lingering_. Some of them were so comitted to hiding their _lingering_ they'd actually signed up for library cards and checked out books, although Belle wasn't so vain that she assumed all the male patrons were there to ogle at a pretty young face.

Enter Mr. Gold.

She'd been told by the old librarian, Mrs. Potts, (sweet woman, made excellent tea, knew everyone's business in a matter-of-fact fashion as opposed to gossip,) that Gold was a regular at the library. He checked out one book, which he returned the following Thursday, and repeated the process unless the library was closed or he was out of town. But he always thought to return the book on time and had never had to pay one penny in late fees.

Belle had, originially, not paid him any mind. He was on the shorter side, fairly average build, maybe in his late forties or early fifties. There was some gray in his brown hair and he had sharp features, but she'd admit he wasn't a bad looking fellow. Oddly, he always wore suits, and had a limp that necessitated a gold-handled cane.

Maybe that's were the trouble started: Mr. Gold was a bit different than most of the men in Storybrooke, and things that were different made Belle curious.

So, on a whim, when she was reshelving on a slow afternoon and saw him come in, she set down the self-help books and went over to the fiction area. "Can I help you find anything?" she asked with her usual smile.

And that was it. Well, not really, but it seemed to be the moment things began to change. Afterwards she found a reason to go to his shop, a sort of combined pawnshop and antique store crammed to the rafters with anything and everything. After that, she found a reason to walk to the diner with him on Saturdays. After that, they actually sat down and ate together in Granny's, and after _that_ he'd started inviting her to estate sales out of town, and she pick a restaurant they could get a bite to eat at while they were there.

It all started to feel like...like dating after awhile, and suddenly Belle became acutely aware of how nice Gold's eyes were, how his long fingers were fidgety, how he only wore colored shirts when he was in a certain mood, and how he only wore his blue suit when they were going out of town. She'd presented him with a doughnut on his birthday, and he'd brought her a muffin from Granny's with a candle stuck in it on her's. Last Valentine's Day, due to her lack of a date and his disinterest in the holiday, they'd spent all evening watching black-and-white horror movies and eating discounted chocolates. Together.

They weren't _dating_ , but it was the most satisfying relationship with a guy she'd ever had. It was balanced, honest, easy to talk about anything...except the fact that she had a crush on him now.

She wasn't even sure when it happened. It just...it just did. And yes, it was terribly ironic that the one man who hadn't fallen all over himself for her was the one she'd become smitten with. And wasn't sure what to do about it.

Belle believed in doing the brave thing, and the brave thing would be asking Gold out to dinner. Or coffee. Or something date-like. But if she did that, and he turned her down, and it made things weird between them...Belle didn't think she was brave enough for that. She was sure it would go away, eventually, that it was just caused by a lengthy dry spell and Gold being a well-dressed, charming man she spent a lot of time with. Surely that was it.

It was not, however.

Half the town seemed to think they were dating already. The other half seemed to just agree Belle was too sweet to shun Gold so they'd become friends of a sort. That's how it was in Storybrooke, everyone wanting to know everyone else's business. Either way, most people didn't get what young, beautiful Belle French could possibly see in old, ugly Mr. Gold, as if their entire relationship could be boiled down to the most shallow elements as looks and reputation. Not that there was a relationship. At least...not yet.

Ruby was also the only person Belle confessed her awkward crush-but-I-don't-think-he-like-likes-me-so-we-should-just-be-friends-but-I-want-to-kiss-his-stupid-beautiful-face feelings to, so really, it had only been a matter of time before Ruby hatched a scheme of some sort.

While she didn't like Gold, Ruby wanted Belle to be happy. And if being with "that bastard" made Belle happy, she was going to support it. However, Belle wasn't so sure about Ruby's bright idea.

"Look," Ruby rolled her eyes. "It's foolproof; You tell Gold you're going on a double-date with me Friday night, you can frame it as supporting me-because I'm gonna need some help, I get very lost in Mulan's eyes and forget how to talk a lot,-or whatever, and you judge how he reacts to the news you'll be on Will Scarlet's leather-jacketed arm. If he gets jealous, you know he likes you, and if he doesn't, you know he's just a friend. Not that I'd hold out a lot of hope on Will being your rebound, he's waaay too hung up on that blonde ex of his, but still."

It wasn't a very good idea, but unfortunately...it was the only plan Belle had.

* * *

Gold found himself smiling when the bell above the shop's door jingled, and Belle walked in. It was amusing in a terrible, punny sort of way.

"Hey," he set aside the soft cloth and peeled off his gloves. His work could wait a minute, it wasn't as if anyone would rush in here looking for a new silverware set. If Neal hadn't talked him into setting up a website, he doubted he'd have a chance of selling it at all actually.

"Hi," Belle smiled, pretty as ever but with a touch of nerves. Huh. "So, uh, what've you got there?"

Gold patted the wooden chest the pieces arrived in. "A rather handsome, pricey antique silverware set brought in by Mr. Tillman. So. What brings you to my humble shop?"

"Oh. Ah...um..." her hands were twisting together in front of her, Belle's topmost nervous tic. Gold wasn't sure what had her in such a state, but he would like to help. Unless he'd done something. In which case he'd still like to help. "Well..."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes! I, um, it's just...Ruby is finally going on a date with Mulan, but only if I'm there, um, a double-date I mean, so...I guess I'm saying I'm going on a date with Will Scarlet on Friday."

Oh.

"You aren't going to the Rabbit Hole, are you?" he frowned. "I thought you and Miss Lucas swore off going there after someone set the billiard table on fire?"

"No! Thank god, no, we're going to that new place that opened up downtown, Aesop's Tables?" Belle no longer looked nervous, but did seem a bit...lost. "So...yeah. That's it."

Gold nodded. Well. He bore Mr. Scarlet no ill will, he seemed like a decent fellow, and as long as the ladies weren't endangering themselves at that rat-hole dive bar, he could hardly object. And besides. The entire town, small as it was, had been waiting on Ruby Lucas and Mulan Fa to stop mooning over each other, this was something of a public service Belle was doing.

"Alright then," he nodded. "I hope you have a nice time."

Belle blinked. "Oh. Thank you."

Gold nodded, again. "Yes, well. Tell me how it goes, it sounds like an interesting evening."

"Tell...tell you how it goes."

"Are we still on for that sale upstate Saturday then? The art collector's home?" When he'd mentioned it earlier in the week, Belle had seemed quite excited to go. Perhaps she'd be too tired from providing moral support the night before?

A strange look crossed over Belle's face, then. She almost looked...angry?

"No. I don't think so." Her face settled into curious, icy blankness. "I have a date."

And then she spun on her heel and stormed out the door. It slammed shut, the bell overhead rattling dangerously, and Gold was left feeling very confused. What...what just happened?

* * *

Gold had never so much as tried to take her hand before, in public or private. Of course he didn't give a damn if she had a date!

What had she been thinking!

How juvenile was she!

The library as empty at the moment when she'd retreated, so she went upstairs to her apartment and screamed, loudly, into a pillow. Which didn't make her feel all that much better, considering she'd just been ranting about how childish it was to think he'd...he'd do something if she made like she was interested in somebody else, like a stupid little girl playing at playing hard to get in the fifth grade. Fourth grade.

Ugh!

And then, as if that wasn't humiliation enough, she'd gotten mad his only concern was where they were going and stormed out. She could have left with her head held high, still salvaged the friendship she'd been so worried about saving, but no! She couldn't even do that, she'd cancelled Saturday like a bitch and just-

_Ugh!_

Her dignity was cracked, her heart bruised and her pride sore. She supposed it could be worse. Somehow. But the world was still turning and, like it or not, Belle did have a commitment on Friday. She just had to pull herself together and make do.

Oh god tomorrow was Thursday.

* * *

Milah had often accused Gold of being a stupid, cowardly little man. She was also a narcissist who liked to throw things when she was drunk and cranky, though, and with time and therapy her insults became more hazy memories than soul-deep scars. Somewhat laughable even. He and Neal had a running joke about a vase in his apartment so ugly even Milah couldn't fix it.

But Gold did wonder now, though, if he weren't perhaps a bit stupid because he didn't see what he'd done wrong.

Belle had just stormed out the shop yesterday, stating she had a date in the coldest tone imaginable. He'd never heard that tone of voice before, had never seen that look flash behind Belle's blue eyes. She was...upset? Sad? Angry? She wasn't happy, at any rate, and he wasn't entirely sure why.

He visited the library, as per usual on Thursdays, only he hadn't seen Belle anywhere. It could be that she was busy. A volunteer assistant, a young man with thick glasses and a nametag reading "Milo" that tripped over his own two feet in his haste to be useful, had said Belle was busy with a project in the basement storeroom at the moment. Which seemed...awfully coincidental. Especially since Gold knew Belle hated the dark, cobwebby storeroom.

So. She was mad at him.

The only question was why?

He'd run over their last conversation several times in his mind, only to come to the conclusion something about his reaction to this date on Friday had been...incorrect. What should he have done instead? Should he have gotten jealous and demanded she never speak to another man, let alone sit at the same table as one? That seemed like the sort of brutish behavior that Belle complained about her ex engaging in, so probably not...

But what _had_ happened?

In the end, Gold reluctantly dialed Belle's number. He had hoped to reach her, of course, but wasn't surprised he got her voicemail instead. A sunny, prerecorded voice chirped "This is Belle, sorry I missed your call but I'll get back to you as soon as I can!" before Gold hung up.

He wasn't particularly could at handling personal conflict like this. He and Neal had several rough patches that were smoothed over now after a few long talks and a few more counselling sessions, but Gold didn't think he had the luxury of waiting two years to get back on speaking terms with Belle, so, he called her a few more times that day and the next before finally giving up and typing out a text simply asking: **Can we talk?**

Alright. The ball was in her court now, 

* * *

Aesop's Table was far nicer than the Rabbit Hole. The lighting was soft and the music was mild, no lewd graffiti decorated the clean tables and the restrooms weren't in a dark, smelly corner of the room a girl rarely felt safe to go alone. People stood around sipping wine and craft beer, playing darts or trivia games, and no one was shouting or threatening to start a fistfight. It was a nice place, really, Belle hoped the owner was proud.

Ruby and Mulan had a slow start, but were currently swapping stories about growing up in family restaurants. Mulan, in a rare chatty moody, had the whole table entertained with a man who kept insisting his order was wrong and he deserved compensation getting chased out the Fa Family Restaurant by her eighty-year-old grandmother sweeping him out the door with a broom. They were having a wonderful time, and Will was a roguishly charming individual who, true to Belle's suspicions, was rather half-hearted in his flirting and seemed more interested in friendly chatter and making sure the two ladies had a nice first date, even if they were being chaperoned, as it were.

But Belle was distracted.

Terribly.

Gold had sent her a cryptic text message earlier in the afternoon, after a slew of phone calls she'd been trying to ignore. It wasn't...she wasn't ignoring him, no, she just didn't know what to say right now and was afraid of making a fool of herself. She knew, logically, that pride wasn't going to get her anywhere, but...here she was. Itching to answer the text, not knowing how, or if it had been too long, all while sipping a glass of red wine and trying to look present in a conversation where she was obsolete.

She must not have been doing too good, because when she excused herself to the restroom, Ruby jumped up to come with her. She was distracted only for a moment by Mulan smiling at her, but only for a moment.

"Okay...so..." Ruby's voice was thankfully low as they crossed the floor to the restroom. "What's up with you tonight? I know Will's seriously stuck on that ex of his so I'm probably the only one getting a good-night kiss out of this date, but I seem to recall part of the plan was you telling Gold about it..."

Belle frowned. "I...it's...he wished me well, then asked if I was still up for our trip Saturday."

"And?"

"And that's it."

Ruby blinked. "That can't be it."

Belle inhaled through her teeth, a painful hiss of air. "I may have also gotten upset he didn't seem to care and stormed out the shop, cancelled our trip, and hid from him in the library yesterday. And ignored his calls today. And haven't answered a text."

"Oh Belle."

"I know! I know!" Belle stepped into the two-stall bathroom and felt safe seeing both doors open to raise her voice enough that the despair bled through. "It's so stupid, I was so worried about ruining our friendship by asking him out, now that I know he just sees me as a friend I can't talk to him! I don't know what to say!"

Ruby's red lips curled up at the corners. "Belle, what did he text you?"

"That he wants to talk, but again, I don't know what to say! I was so stupid Ruby, ugh, he must think I'm an idiot!"

A comforting hand landed on Belle's shoulder, and she looked up to find Ruby's smile turning both sympathetic and amused. Why though? "Belle, honey, I don't think he thinks you're an idiot, I think he really wants to talk to you."

A leaden feeling she'd been trying to ignore tightened in Belle's gut. Guilt. Embarrassment. Gold was probably worried she was mad at him now, and for all she was hurt, she wasn't mad. Not really. Disappointed, yes, but not mad, and that was hardly his fault...and ignoring all his calls probably didn't convince him otherwise. Belle dug out her phone, looking at the time and debating whether or not it was too late in the day to answer. Gold was a night owl, part of the reason he checked out a library book was so he had something to read when he couldn't sleep, she knew, but...

"Do you think you could give me a minute to call him?" she asked, proud her voice didn't waver or crack.

Ruby nodded. "Sure. Oh, and Belle? Thanks for coming with me tonight anyway. You're right about that 'do the brave thing' stuff, you know."

Belle felt a smile on her face as Ruby left, with a big thumbs-up, and she sent a belated message to Gold. Belated, but hopefully not too late. Do the brave thing, and bravery will follow. And hopefully a little more...

* * *

Gold had been cleaning up from dinner when his phone chirped. He rushed over to find a response at last from Belle, a simple **Are you awake?** he responded to in the affirmative. And not two seconds later his phone was ringing.

"Belle?"

 _"...hi, um...you wanted to talk?"_ she said, softly, sheepishly. Gold felt a tight knot of stress in the pit of stomach unfurl at just the sound of her voice. _"I, um, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner."_

"No problem," honestly she could have taken a full week instead of two days, so long as she got back to him, "no problem at all. Ah, oh. You're on your date now, aren't you?"

 _"It's okay,"_ Belle said dismissively. There was a pause before she added, admitted really, _"Will is Mulan's friend. He's her moral support, like I am for Ruby, and he's not really...interested in dating right now. I, um...it's not a real date for me. I'm chaperoning."_

"I see." Gold wasn't sure what to say to that. It sounded like an explanation of sorts, but he wasn't sure what it explained other than Ruby and Mulan had been too nervous to go out alone.

 _"I wouldn't really be interested in dating Will, anyway,"_ Belle continued. _"He's...alright, I guess, but I sort of...I have my eye on someone else. He's...um...he's...you."_

Gold smiled.

"I know. I love you too."

The pause on the other end of the line was so long, Gold thought they'd been disconnected. Or Belle had hung up. His heart slowed to a stop, as it dragged, each second an eternity. He'd though he and Belle were on the same page, that they'd just confessed mutual feelings and-

_"YOU WHAT?"_

* * *

Belle had run out of Aesop's Tables with barely an explanation. She hoped Ruby would forgive her for abandoning her but some conversations needed to be had face-to-face and this was decidedly one of them. She'd run all the way down main street, barely noticing how badly her feet hurt running in four-inch stilettos and thanked god Storybrooke was of a reasonably flat topography with no traffic, car or people, at eight-thirty at night.

The lack of people meant that when Gold pulled up in his Cadillac around the same time she crossed the street, she could easily shout.

"You thought we were dating all this time?!"

Gold only blinked at her as he climbed out the car, looking at her with a concerned expression, though she couldn't say if he was concerned for her or himself at this point. "I...assumed we were taking it slowly."

"Slowly?" Belle repeated, her voice at a normal level now. It was probably the shock. He thought they were dating.

"No, but..." Gold squirmed, fiddling his fingers around the handle of his cane. "But I thought we were taking things very slowly. I thought you didn't want to go too fast or take things public yet."

Belle tried, really tried, to see where he was coming from and found herself unable to think at all. He thought they were dating. Did he like her? "You thought we were taking things slowly. And I've never even kissed you. We-I thought we were taking those trips and eating meals together as friends! You never asked me on a date!"

Even as she said it, Belle suddenly remembered the first time he asked her to an estate sale. He'd been hesitant, and at the time she'd thought he was just unsure if she would want to go anywhere with Storybrooke's resident beast. That's how the town would describe it, anyway. A damsel being carried off by a monster. Okay. No wonder they'd taken so many trips out of Storybrooke together and he'd been so pleased with them even if he'd never bought anything at those sales.

"What about last Valentine's Day?" he said, that worried look still on his face. "Was that...was that not a date? We were together, watching a movie, and I fell asleep on your couch because I didn't want to wake you up at the end when you'd fallen asleep."

That was before Belle had really noticed her feelings for Gold. She fond, even a little embarrassed, waking up the next morning with her head on his shoulder, sure, but-Oh god, it did look like a date in hindsight.

"We've never even held hands!" Belle protested. "Or kissed! Or-" Wait.

Why was she protesting?

Gold thought they were dating, he said he loved her, she was in love with him and knew exactly how he felt; It was everything she wanted. Well. Almost. Gold opened his mouth to say something, she didn't really care anymore, she shook her head and lunged forwards, wrapping her arms around him so suddenly she almost threw him against the car.

"Belle?"

"I'm so sorry, I was so stupid the other day," Belle mumbled against his shoulder. Her skin prickled as she finally realized he wasn't wearing his jacket or vest, or even a tie. Just a smooth dress shirt, doing nothing to keep the warmth of his skin from her. "I should have just asked you on a damn date instead of playing coy. And I shouldn't have ignored you because I was embarrassed, and I am so sorry you're in love with an idiot."

Gold froze for a minute at the full-contact hug, then he vibrated with barely-suppressed laughter. His arms came around her, sturdy and snug, and he daringly pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. Belle's blood turned to champagne, fizzing all through her veins and oh sweet lord, how had she ever, ever thought she wasn't in love with him?

"If you're an idiot, I'm the bigger one," he snickered. "I thought we were dating for months and you're right, I never even kissed you or held your hand. How stupid am I?"

Belle looked up at him, at his dancing brown eyes, at his lovely crooked mouth, at the soft hair framing in his dear face. She gave into the temptation and brushed it aside with one hand, curling it around his nape. His eyes fluttered prettily and her heart was fit to burst.

"I think we've established we're both perfectly stupid," she said, unable to take her eyes off his mouth. "And I don't think I can go another second without, so please, shut up and kiss me?"

And he did. Thoroughly.

* * *

They said that Belle French and Mr. Gold (only Belle and the man to write up their marriage license knew what his given name was,) had a whirlwind romance of only three months before they were wed on August 5th at the courthouse.

They said it wouldn't last because one summer wasn't enough time to date.

They said they had rushed into things and had made a huge mistake.

They never understood why Belle and Gold laughed so hard every time.


End file.
